By Digital Output Staff
Held annually by the International Sign Association (ISA), the ISA Sign Expo takes place in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center, South Hall from March 21 to 24, 2018. We pick up where our February issue left off, with companies sharing the products, solutions, and services they plan to exhibit at the event.
Above: Multipanel, booth 231, manufactures aluminum composite materials used in a number of applications.
3A Composites USA, booth 3017, showcases the Gator line of heavy-duty graphic display boards—including Gatorfoam and Gatorplast. Learn more about creating high-performing signage—for installation both indoors and out—with Gator graphic display boards. Gatorfoam is a unique, one-of-a-kind graphic display board that consists of polystyrene foam bonded between two layers of a proprietary wood-fiber veneer laminate.
3M Commercial Solutions, booth 3308, promotes its selection of colored translucent films. With 34 new shades, including Deep Sea Blue, Regal Red, and Glacial Green, the collection now features a total of 103 options. The expanded lineup bolsters the 3M Illuminated Sign Solutions portfolio, which also includes inkjet printable films, light management films, overlaminates, and flexible substrates.
Agfa Graphics, booth 2611, demonstrates the Jeti Mira HS LED with roll-to-roll and varnish capabilities. The 8.82 feet wide, moving gantry flatbed printer is designed for optimal flexibility. Featuring print and prepare functionality; speeds up to 2,669 square feet per hour; six color, white standard, highly-pigmented Agfa-made UV inks ideal for indoor/outdoor applications; and two rows of Ricoh inkjet printheads, the Jeti Mira’s UV LED curing technology prints on heat-sensitive substrates.
AnaJet, booth 4620, encourages attendees to learn about the RICOH Ri 6000 direct-to-garment (DTG) printer. Imagine printing vibrant custom graphics directly on apparel with a setup process that takes minutes, not hours. Change how your business fulfills orders with the speed to print a 12×10-inch graphic in as little as 27 seconds. Visit the booth to see it in action, as well as the new Ri 100, an entry-level DTG printer for under $5,000.
AXYZ International, booth 2604, displays two CNC routers. The heavy-duty Pacer Series is engineered to provide the highest combination of quality and precision and offers the ideal platform for high-speed, vibration-free processing. While the Trident Series, purpose-built for sign making applications, includes a twin-knife head and heavy-duty routing spindle for taking on the broadest projects. Focusing on innovation, customization, and exceptional service, AXYZ has a CNC router to suit any project.
CET Color, booth 1423, is a U.S.-based manufacturer of both UV printers and flatbed cutters. These UV printers come in both hybrid and flatbed models ranging from 63 inches up to 16 feet. The company’s flatbed cutters can reach up to 5×10 feet in size.
Colex, booth 4635, debuts its newest model, the Sharpcut Flatbed Cutter System, Colex’s most productive solution for automated finishing of wide format media. The new Sharpcut can be used for a variety of applications including cutting soft to rigid boards, vinyl, fabric/textiles, foamboard, coroplast, PVC, and acrylic. It provides users with the best affordable digital cutting offering versatility, speed, and price.
CutGuru, a unit of MCT, booth 4928, supports over 1,000 users of cutting tables, providing true telephone application support for blades, bits, cutting underlays/conveyor belts, and maintenance supplies. CutGuru.com provides easy ordering and quick delivery of products for all popular flatbed cutting tables. Specializing in printed graphics, CutGuru buys in volume and passes on savings to customers. Specialty products and custom tools to your specifications are also available.
Cyrious Software, booth 3142, launches Ecommerce for Control, which enables customers to place orders day or night. With 24/7 ordering capability, print service providers are increasing engagement from current customers and gaining new business via online traffic. With branded storefronts and private product catalogs, the system can be tailored to the needs of customers. Orders placed online synchronize directly with Control—ready for production and tracking.
Drytac, booth 2849, hosts live demonstrations and showcases an interactive back wall. Visitors are encouraged to enter for a chance to win a free roll of material by participating in Drytac’s social media competition. The company highlights its range of self-adhesive materials for wide format printing including its SpotOn, ViziPrint, ReTac, WipeErase, and Polar ranges as well as BannerBug banner stands.
E.L. Hatton, booth 3935, shows its new improved MegaTape and Clear PowerTape. Both products allowed a Banner Ups banner to reach 108 miles per hour in a wind tunnel test. Other new products displayed include KederTape adhesive keder, TexTape textile hem tape, and PoleTape PRO seam tape for pole pocket banners.
Encore Products, booth 2428, encourages attendees to end the frustrations of printing onto aluminum sheets or foils and create elegant signs, displays, or presentations at a fraction of the cost with its Brushed Metal Foam Board. It is a fully printable paper surface with a durable, versatile foam center. The product is available in both a brushed aluminum or brushed gold finish.
Esko, booth 4200, highlights its Esko Automation Engine QuickStart for Signs, a powerful, entry-level turnkey production software package for digital wide format. The preconfigured workflows are easy to implement—installation can be achieved in less than a week. Tasks include preflight; automated cutting paths; automated hem graphics, pole pockets, and grommet marks; layout/tiling and scaled proofs; and nested layouts/marks for printing/finishing. The software is scalable, allowing print shops to add modules such as color management and MIS integration.
Fisher Textiles, booths 1407 and 5403, showcases the company’s two newest fabrics, GF4019 Nirvana B.O.B. and GF6090 SunBright. Nirvana is a dye-sublimation (dye-sub) and UV printable black-backed knit for frontlit soft signage silicone edge graphics (SEG) and roll-up banner stands. The black back provides a built-in liner for finished applications and promotes cost savings in material and labor. SunBright is a dye-sub printable knit for backlit SEG with excellent vibrancy of color and stretch properties.
Foster, booth 2727, suggests that if you handle rolls of print media, fabric, flooring, or any other roll material, that it has an On-a-Roll Lifter for the job. At the show, Foster exhibits lifters that simplify workflow and make shops safer for employees. Also displayed, a complete line of Keencut and Rotatrim precision cutters and trimmers for wide format, sign making, display graphics, and fabric production.
GBC/SEAL, booth 2113, invites attendees to view the SEAL 62 Pro D thermal 61-inch laminator with productivity pack including easy-in feed table and output slitters. Promising the experienced user exceptional value and optimum performance, this machine offers ultimate versatility with roll to roll and manual pressure adjustment. For those looking to upgrade from a cold machine, the booth features the 62 Base 61-inch top-heat laminator equipped roll-to-roll laminating, two-inch mounting gap, and swing-up feed table.
General Formulations, booth 2806, manufactures screen and offset media, sign vinyl, and digital media including AutoMark Premium Calendered Air Egress wrap vinyl, MetroMark Transit PVC, Traffic Graffic Floor/Carpet Media, and WallFrog Wall Fabric. MotoMark Grip print and Armor laminate systems are ideal for ATVs, UTVs, helmets, LSE substrates, and powder coats. The company features 201OAPAE and 203OAPAE opaque air-egress permanent vinyl, 255 optically clear removable vinyl, and an array of 6-mil semi-rigid films. CC500MR Removable Sign Vinyls are ideal for interior décor.
Gfp, booth 2626, introduces the new 263 C, a 63-inch version of its 200 Series cold laminator line. Also debuting at the show, the 60FT finishing table featuring one side for feeding boards and reverse side with self-healing cutting mat, for use with any laminator. In addition the 563TH-3 top heat machine with swing-out shafts and the 355TH professional top heat laminator are displayed.
Graphtec, booth 3045, just got bigger. A leader in cutting and finishing solutions for the signage, apparel, label, and prototype packaging industries, Graphtec is renowned for its high precision print-and-cut ability. Its booth is packed with new products and a major partnership showcase.
Leister Technologies, booth 5221, features the HEMTEK ST banner welder. Capabilities include hem welds, pole pockets, and hems with rope. From now on, quickly weld promotional banners or tarpaulins from corner to corner with ease. Whether sitting or standing, the HEMTEK ST is compatible with any work table.
Massivit 3D, booth 629, demonstrates the versatility of its large format 3D printing technology. Utilizing the flagship Massivit 1800 3D Printer, sign and display print providers produce a range of applications, including advertising campaigns, retail displays, and bus wraps. With the ability to quickly 3D print large and complex objects, print providers can add a new dimension to business, shave weeks off production methods as well as enjoy greater design freedom. For intricate, customized, and repeated campaigns, print providers also have the option to 3D print moulds for vacuum forming.
Master Magnetics, booth 4908, offers new ThinFORCE high-energy magnetic sheeting—the latest advancement in printable magnetic sheeting from Master Magnetics with exceptional strength in a thinner and lighter magnetic material. Ideal for vehicle graphics where industry standards require 30-mil thickness of regular flexible magnet for vehicle signs, ThinFORCE gives the same strength in half the thickness and weight. Designed for printing with UV, solvent, eco-solvent, and latex ink systems.
MCT, booth 5835, exhibits the VersaTech2 all-in-one flatbed cutter for router, laser, or knife creasing with full conveying and automation for all materials. TigerVision software is improved with special compensation for stretchy fabric, an accurate jobs-longer-than-the-table capability, and new quick response code job automation, plus software for shaped nesting, estimating, and parametric modeling with full RIP integration is demonstrated. See also 5kW routing and laser cutting of fabric and acrylic plus etching.
Multipanel UK, booth 231, is a manufacturer of aluminium composite materials. Aluminium, PVC, and magnetically receptive steel with digital or whiteboard coatings, the company’s range of high-quality substrates are available in an impressive range of colors and finishes. Multipanel’s U.S. stockholding and network of distribution partners means it can provide quick and easy access to a choice of products in a variety of formats.
Mutoh America, booth 2017, displays the new 4×8-foot UV LED flatbed printer, the PerformanceJet 2508UF, as well as other favorites from its line of ValueJet printers such as the 1624X, 1948WX ultra-fast four printhead dye-sublimation printer, and the 626UF UV LED printer capable of printing on cylindrical items with its optional rotary attachment.
OKI Data, booth 1611, holds live printing and vehicle wrap installation techniques in the booth. Utilizing advanced print technologies, industrial printheads, and low-odor, eco-solvent ink, ColorPainter printers produce vibrant, glossy graphics with exceptional color saturation and durability for an excellent return on investment of both indoor and outdoor applications.
Onyx Graphics, Inc., booth 5213, highlights business intelligence tool ONYX Hub software. A browser-based dashboard offers easy-to-understand data across a print service provider’s entire site, enabling better business decisions. It collects data by job, station, and printer, presented in real time, for immediate visibility into a shop’s production environment. With ONYX Hub software, users gain insight using trend reporting to optimize workflow and better manage business.
ORAFOL Americas, booth 3604, holds in-booth demonstrations focusing on wall, architectural, and vehicle applications. While there, check out recently launched new colors for ORACAL 970RA Wrapping Cast and ORACAL Series 641 Economy Calendered. ORACAL 970RA Wrapping Cast; Tangerine Dream (959), Luscious Lips (961), Jetstream Blue (963), and Crystal White (945). ORACAL 641 Economy Calendered; top 21 colors are now available in matte.
Orbus Exhibit & Display Group and SignPro Systems, booth 1220, suggest attendees stop by to win a free trip to Orbus Bootcamp or a Showroom Package of displays. The Backlit Embrace collapsible display system, Modulate Magnetic Banner System, and SignPro Flat Wayfinding sign system are displayed.
Palram America, booth 4607, promotes its PALBOARD multi-layer PVC with tough, solid surfaces and a lightweight, foam PVC core. PALSUN flat polycarbonate sheets and coil stock are UL listed and appear in the SAM manual. PALIGHT foamed PVC substrates are ideal for digital printing, providing excellent ink adhesion, a smooth surface, and high white point. PALCLEAR is a transparent PVC with water-like clarity.
Photo Tex Group, Inc., booth 3702, showcases Photo Tex self-adhesive material, which carries four U.S. patents. This proprietary material can be printed on any inkjet printer with a 13 year history. The 100 percent removable polyester fabric is widely used in events, stadiums, retail outlets, schools, point of purchase, hotels, airports, and malls.
swissQprint, booth 5642, presents the new Nyala LED model. On a 126×79.9-inch flatbed, Nyala LED delivers a maximum output of 2,217 square feet per hour. It is versatile and thanks to cool LED curing, even heat-sensitive substrates are easily printed onto. Besides, Nyala LED consumes 50 percent less energy than conventional systems.
Tekra, booth 3938, offers a variety of solutions. Featured products include JetView Solvent Block-out Film, which is 99 percent opaque and printable with solvent, latex, or UV inks. It is versatile, durable, and ideal for trade show graphics. JetView Latex Low Tack Window Film brightens storefront signage and increases offerings with material that can be front lit, backlit, or sunlit, still offering the same vibrancy. Bonding solutions and graphic print films such as polyesters, polycarbonates, vinyl, and 3M adhesives are also on display.
UltraBoard, booth 1411, manufactured in the U.S. by United Industries, showcases its complete line of foamcore substrates. Visit the booth to review foamcore samples, as well the newly introduced UltraBoard Edge Band Acrylic product line.
Ultraflex Systems, Inc., booth 5011, features several new products including Bravura Backlit LTX 190, VorTex Mambo 170, and MultiTex S285. Each product is displayed and samples available. The company continues to expand its portfolio in response to global market demand. Join Ultraflex in its commitment to progress, quality, and product development.
V Sign Software, booth 3050, is an intuitive, easy-to-use ERP organizational system that manages leads, projects, and staff. With built in reporting, invoicing, and calendars, V Sign Software aids in keeping projects going smoothly and clients happy.
Vanguard Digital, booth 5729, displays the VSP1400 single-pass UV press capable of printing full 4×8-foot boards in just seconds. Also on display, the VK300D 5×10-foot flatbed UV printer featuring the latest innovation in Kyocera printhead technology capable of printing up to 40 boards per hour. In addition, the VR5D 4×8-foot flatbed UV printer and two- and 3.2-meter dye-sublimation printers are at the show.
Verseidag US, booth 2035, announces its newest backlit fabric for digital print applications. Introducing seemee Backlit Select FR (B4420), a 270 g/m2 knit polyester pre-shrunk fabric, optimized for both transfer and direct dye-sublimation. Offering a 21 percent translucency and designed with a water-based PVC free finish. It is available up to 126 inches wide.
Zünd, booth 5030, exhibits the Zünd LM 100W cut and seal Laser Module developed for no-fray cutting and finishing of polyester fabrics. Other highlights designed specifically for print service providers aiming for superior productivity include the latest Zünd Cut Center ZCC 3.0 features, such as the OCC Over-Cutter Camera system and Dashboard, as well as the high-powered 3.6kW routing system with automatic tool/bit changer.
We look forwarding to seeing you at the ISA Sign Expo. Stop by and visit us in booth 5906.
Mar2018, Digital Output
